Verb drill
Diminuer and baisser: practise reducing, falling and lowering
Practise diminuer and baisser with quantities, volume and movement. Learn where both fit, then complete present-tense forms and short sentences.
- A2
- 9 answers
- Checked all at once
- Accents count
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In short
Diminuer means to reduce or decrease; baisser means to lower or go down. Both fit many prices and sound levels: Le prix baisse / diminue. For lowering your head, use baisser la tête.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
diminuerreduce; decrease
Focus: a smaller amount, extent or intensity
diminuer le nombre / la quantité
Nous diminuons le nombre de cartes.
We reduce the number of cards.
La quantité diminue.
The quantity decreases.
baisserlower; go down
Focus: a lower level, setting or physical position
baisser le son / la tête
Je baisse le son.
I turn the sound down.
Le prix baisse.
The price goes down.
Things in the examples
Find:
How do you say a number goes down in French?
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Le prix baisse de dix à huit euros. | It falls from ten to eight euros. |
| Le prix diminue de deux euros. | It decreases by two euros. |
| Le prix baisse à huit euros. | It falls to eight euros. |
Ten to eight is a reduction of two. In de dix à huit, de introduces the starting value. In de deux euros, it introduces the amount of change. Both verbs work with this price: Le prix baisse de deux euros and Le prix diminue de deux euros.
Study the forms, then type them
| Subject | diminuer | baisser |
|---|---|---|
| je | diminue | baisse |
| tu | diminues | baisses |
| il / elle / on | diminue | baisse |
| nous | diminuons | baissons |
| vous | diminuez | baissez |
| ils / elles | diminuent | baissent |
In the drill, the hint names the verb to use. A price or volume sentence can often take either verb; the hint makes the form you are practising clear. Keep the u of diminuer: nous diminuons, vous diminuez.
1 · Type the requested present form
- nous · diminuer
- vous · baisser
- elles · diminuer
- tu · baisser
2 · Complete the change
- Je la tête pour regarder le sol. (baisser · present)
- Nous le nombre de cartes dans le jeu. (diminuer · present)
- Les prix de dix à huit euros. (baisser · present)
- Vous le volume de la radio. (diminuer · present)
- Le prix passe de dix à huit euros : il baisse de euros. (the amount of the fall)